Born in 1929, in New Jersey, Grace Mirabella worked in publishing as an
editor-in-chief for both Vogue and Mirabella Magazines. From 1946 to 1950, she attended
Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree
in Economics with honors. Mirabella began her rise into the world of fashion working
for Macy’s Department Store in New York City from 1950 to 1951. In 1951 she moved to
Saks 5th Avenue Department Store as the Assistant to the Sales Promotion Director.
Mirabella joined Vogue Magazine in 1952, serving in
various positions during her decades-long relationship with the magazine. From 1952
until 1964, she worked in the Merchandising, Shopping, Fashion, and Marketing
departments, taking a brief leave of absence in 1954 to assist the Italian company,
Simonetta and Fabiani Couture, with public relations. She became an associate editor
for Vogue in 1964 and an editor in 1971. In 1972,
Mirabella was appointed editor-in-chief of Vogue, a
position she held for sixteen years. While editor-in-chief, she focused on wearable
fashions for women in the workplace and championed the anti-smoking movement.

S. I. Newhouse, owner of Condé Nast Publications, fired Mirabella in 1988, replacing
her with Anna Wintour. In response, Mirabella partnered with Rupert Murdoch’s News
Corporation, a rival of Condé Nast, to launch the eponymous magazine, Mirabella, in 1989. Though critics praised Mirabella for its style and focus on health, the magazine
had trouble making money. In 1995, Murdoch sold Mirabella to Hachette Filipacci Magazines. While Mirabella perceived
many of Mirabella’s problems, she did not agree with
the harsh opinions of Hachette Filipacci’s president, David Pecker, and left the
magazine before it folded in 2000.

In November 1974, Mirabella married William G. Cahan, an attending surgeon at the
Sloan Kettering Memorial Center and Professor of Surgery at Cornell University
Medical College. He and his wife shared an interest in health issues, especially the
effects of passive smoking. Mirabella’s work in the magazine industry, particularly
in Mirabella, reflected this interest, taking a hard
line on tobacco companies and passive smoking.

Honors bestowed upon Mirabella include Who’s Who, The Best Dressed List Hall of Fame,
Orders of both Cavalier and Officer from the Republic of Italy, and membership on
the Advisory Board of Leeds Castle in London, England. Furthermore, she spoke at the
World Economic Development Congress in 1993 and received the Neiman Marcus Award for
Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion in 1995.

Correspondence, creative works, printed material, financial and legal records, press
releases, videocassettes, audiocassettes, photographs, and newspaper clippings
comprise the Grace Mirabella Cahan Papers, 1948-2000, and document Grace Mirabella’s
publishing career, personal life, and interest in the effects of passive smoking.
The bulk of the collection consists of material related to her magazine, Mirabella, specifically the magazine’s launch and focus
on women’s health. The material documents managerial and design decisions at
Mirabella as well as logistics associated with the launch. Additionally, the
collection contains the premiere issues of Mirabella
and Mirabella UK.

The papers also detail Mirabella’s career at Vogue,
primarily her tenure as editor-in-chief, including her correspondence, TV
appearances, printed material, and awards. Notable people featured in her
publishing records include S.I. Newhouse, Jr., Anna Wintour, Rupert Murdoch, Bill
Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Liz Smith, Karl Lagerfeld, Emanuel Ungaro, Yves Saint
Laurent, and Ann Landers. Furthermore, the material concerns her anti-smoking
interests, a trip to China in 1979, and her dismissal from Vogue in 1988. The collection also contains her personal papers, which
document her personal life; relationship with her husband, Dr. William Cahan; and
her numerous awards, accolades, and accomplishments.

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the
National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe
Center’s “History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project,” 2009-2011.